I'm starting my Dogs campaign tomorrow night (woo hoo!) and have a town all developed and ready to go.

Then I reread the rules and noticed the paragraph on page 62 where it explains, "Dogs have no authority to solve the problems of families or individuals, that's the Steward's job, except as the problems spill over into the congregation as a whole. (Which they pretty much do, so that's okay.)"

My first scenario is called, "The Prodigal Son" and all the key characters are in the same family. It's inspired by the Biblical parable except that the prodigal son is the older son and he isn't at all repentant. Dad's getting old and he's returned home to angle for his inheritance. There's tons of family drama including some adultery with his younger brother's second wife, who smells where the family wealth is heading.

The branch steward is urging the family patriarch to fix things but neither of them is being particularly effective.

Strictly speaking this is just a family issue, but the prodigal son's excesses have become the talk of town. Is that too lame a way to "spill into the community?" I guess I could also dispel any "that's not our responsibility" by having the branch steward invite the Dogs to get involved, "I'm at my wits end! Brother Thomas is so happy to have his son back he won't think of saying anything that might cause him to run off again."

Oh, I just thought of an idea... perhaps the prodigal son has returned with a buddy who's not of the faith and is hitting on the local girls. That would rile things up!

--Peter

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Peter AdkisonOwner/CEO, Gen Con LLCThe best four days in gaming!www.gencon.com

I'm not sure I have advice on your specific scenario but two thoughts came to mind as I read it.

1) The hardest leap for me to make when prepping a Dog's Town is getting the problem to spill out into the community. The actions of Family A have to be causing problems for Family B and that's a tough leap to make.

2) I have played games where the Dogs managed to contain the problem to a single family. There were still DEEP problems within that family but it wasn't hurting anyone else but themselves. The Dogs then tipped their hat to the Steward and said, "Your problem now, Good Day Sir." and moved on.

My personal rule is to keep creating the town until it gives me a stomach ache -- until it gives me that oog feeling where I know it's too late for someone who deserved better, and I know that nobody here can make things right. I don't worry about in-family vs out-of-family or other points of assigned responsibility, I just keep going until I know that whoever was responsible, now it's a big mess, over that person's head, and there's no fixing it.

2) I have played games where the Dogs managed to contain the problem to a single family. There were still DEEP problems within that family but it wasn't hurting anyone else but themselves. The Dogs then tipped their hat to the Steward and said, "Your problem now, Good Day Sir." and moved on.

Dude! These are Dogs munchkins! Power gamers! Rules lawyers!

More seriously, most people I've played with would never do that, unless they're the type to read the book cover to cover and point to p. xx to support what they're trying to do in play.

Because, if you're doing your job right, those people in the town are crying, begging the Dogs to just help them, just, "Please, oh please, save us, help us, defend me from that guy, he's going to take advantage of me... I'm starving... help, he's going to kill my daughter, I just know it!" Escalate, escalate; the Dogs shouldn't be able to just walk away without it being a major statement about the kind of people they are. Someone in the Town is disadvantaged from what's going on, and the Dogs are their only hope to set things right--and if they won't, they'll have to grab a gun and set things right themselves, because the Dogs left them no other choice!

So, if they pull that on you, why don't you go straight to "what would happen if the Dogs didn't come?" The Dogs turn and walk away... there's a gunshot and a scream; someone's blood is pooling on the dusty ground.

So, if they pull that on you, why don't you go straight to "what would happen if the Dogs didn't come?" The Dogs turn and walk away... there's a gunshot and a scream; someone's blood is pooling on the dusty ground.